Montgomerj c



(ModeL) M. O. MEGS.- GONSTANT LEVEL LAMP.

No. 257,965. Patented May16,1882

TVifn 9.956s.

MONTGOMERY C. MEIGS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CONSTANT-LEV EL LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,965, dated May 16, 1882.

ApplieationfiledMareh '21, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, MONTGOMERY G. Hares, a citizen of the United States, residing in Washington, District of Columbia, have invented anew and useful Valve for use in Gonstant-Level Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

The body of the valve is made of some elastic material, and has a stem with crosspiece or button on its end. The body I make generally of cork, and the stem and crosspiece of metal, but other materials havingthe same elasticity and stiffness may be used, if preferred. The valve is pushed wi [11 some force through the neck of the font or vessel to contain the oil, which for this purpose should have a contracted neck or opening with an enlargement or funnel-shaped exterior mouth to prevent spilling the oil in filling. Once pushed into the font the cross-piece (shown in the drawing) prevents the valve falling too far within the font. After filling the font the valve is pulled up by the stem and cross-piece till it tightly closes or corks the font, when this may be reversed without danger of spilling the oil. When the font is placed in the body of the lamp in position for use the stem comes into contact with the bottom of the. socket or easing into which the font is inserted, and being made of sufficient length for that purpose, as in other valves, lifts the elastic valveoff its seat and allows oil to flow from the font into the socket until its surface rises into contact with the edge of the funnel or cup-shaped mouth of the font, as in other constant-level lamps.

The font I prefer to make of glass blown in a mold in one piece, thus avoiding the use of metallic mouth-pieces cemented or screwed to the body or neck of the font; but it may be made of cast or of spun metal, or of pottery o porcelain, as maybe desired.

The drawing herewith exhibits my invention in detail.

A is the elastic body of the valve. E is the metal stem; B, the upper washer; (J, thelower washer; and D is the cross-piece in place. The valve is shown lifted by the stem, as when the lamp is in actual use. HH His a section and elevation of the body or socket of the lamp. I I are tubes conveying the oil to the Argand or other wicks and burners. F F is a section of the body of the font, preferably of glass or porcelain. N is the contracted neck, forming a valve-seat. G G is the expanded funnel or cup-shaped mouth of the foot.

I am aware that prior to my invention a selfacting valve for fonts of constant-level lamps had been made of leather or some other flexi ble material, having a metallic valve-stem secured in the center of the flexible disk, and a button or cross-piece on the other end of said stem, as is figured and shown in Patent No. 194,071, though not claimed or patented there in. I therefore do not claim a flexible diskvalve; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The elastic self-acting valve madeofan elastic material, capable, without injury, of being pushed through a narrow neck or opening into a font or vessel to contain oil in a. constantlevel lamp, having also a stifi'stem with crosspiece or other enlargement to prevent its falling through the neck into the body of the font or oil-vessel, and expanding by its elasticity after being forcibly inserted, so as to act as a valve and control the flow of oil from the font,

arranged and operating substantially as set forth and described.

M. O. MEIGS. Witnesses:

GEO. H. BYINGTON, D. 1?. (Down 

